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A research team from Kobe, Japan has taken a major step forward in developing a functional retina from embryonic stem cells.
Their advancement brings us closer to the day when a person who is completely blind from an advanced retinal degenerative disease such as retinitis pigmentosa might receive an entirely new retina to restore their vision. In the short run, the knowledge gained through this study can also help scientists use embryonic stem cells to better understand retinal development, model retinal disease, and identify new drugs and treatments.
Using a mixture of proteins, the investigators coaxed embryonic stem cells from mice to develop into the inner and outer layers of tissue that make up the complete retina, a structure known as the optic cup. The team is now working to see if the complete retina can respond to light and transmit signals to the brain.
The optic cup is to-date the most complex tissue derived from stem cells.
The advancement was made by the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe and led by Dr. Yoshiki Sasai. Results of the study were published online in Nature on April 6, 2011.
“While this research application has a ways to go before it can be evaluated in a clinical trial, it is an exciting and meaningful advancement,” says Stephen Rose, Ph.D., chief research officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “It is an important step toward complete retinal transplantation. And in the short run, the findings from the study will be helpful to a number of Foundation-funded researchers who are developing stem cell therapies.”
Dr. Rose notes that Foundation-funded researchers have already developed different retinal cell types — including photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium — from human stem cells, and are currently working to perfect the cells’ functional integration into the patient’s retina. “That will be the home run,” says Dr. Rose, “when we can successfully transplant cells or a complete retina to provide vision.”
Advanced Cell Technology, an innovative stem cell company out of California, has received approval to launch clinical trials of a treatment derived from human stem cells for people with Stargardt disease and dry age-related macular degeneration. The treatment involves the transplantation of retinal pigment epithelial cells to support and protect the recipient’s existing retinal cells.
“The advancement made in Japan further underscores the potential power of stem cells for treating retinal conditions and a host of other diseases. The rate of progress we are making is phenomenal,” adds Dr. Rose. “That’s why stem cells are a critical part of the Foundation’s research portfolio.” |
